Campus Life

Reminders for using 2FA over holiday break

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The holidays are quickly approaching, and many Penn Staters may be receiving new phones or traveling over the holiday break. If you’re a two-factor authentication (2FA) user that uses a smartphone, there are a couple things to keep in mind to ensure you don’t lose access to Penn State websites and services.

If you receive a new smartphone but keep the same phone number:

If you have a new smartphone but keep the same phone number as when you signed up for 2FA, you can still log in to WebAccess with a phone call. Select "Phone Call" when prompted to choose a 2FA method and the call will be sent to your new phone. You will, however, need to install the Duo Mobile app on your new smartphone to log in using push notifications. For more information, read the Activating New Smartphone with Same Phone Number for 2FA and Re-Activate Duo Mobile App on New Version of Smartphone or New Smartphone articles on the Penn State Knowledge Base.

If you receive a new smartphone and a new phone number:

If you have a new smartphone with a different phone number than your old device, log in to the 2FA self-service portal with an enrolled device, such as your laptop or old phone. (If you only have one device enrolled, log in to the portal with the old device before deactivating it.) Follow the steps on the screen to add the new phone and remove the old device.

If you’ll be traveling:

Two-factor authentication is flexible enough to be used while traveling, but it’s recommended to plan how you’ll use the service before you leave. For example, if you use passcodes, you might have to generate them before your trip begins. For more information, visit How to Use 2FA while Traveling.

For more information, call the IT Service Desk at 814-865-4357, send an email to itservicedesk@psu.edu, or visit the IT Service Desk website. Please note that the service desks and other IT resources will have adjusted hours during the holiday break. The IT Service Desk will be closed from 11 p.m. on Dec. 22 to 7 a.m. on Jan. 3.

Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

Last Updated January 11, 2017